Cleveland Given a Head Start, but Sylmar Finishes

Here’s some advice for future opponents of Sylmar High’s basketball team: If you don’t play relentlessly for 32 minutes, forget about beating the Spartans.

With all five starters scoring in double figures, Sylmar overtook Cleveland in the fourth quarter and came away with a 74-68 victory in a nonleague game Tuesday night that matched possibly the two best City Section teams in the Valley.

Kent Dennis of Cleveland (4-2) scored 26 points and kept the Cavaliers ahead until midway through the fourth quarter. That’s when the Spartans’ depth took over.

Joey Youman, a 6-foot-7 senior, tipped in a basket with 4:12 left to give Sylmar (5-1) a 62-61 lead. Then he stunned everyone by drilling in a three-point shot from the baseline. The Spartans never looked back.

“It was a shocker,” guard T.K. Reed said of Youman’s three-pointer. “I didn’t think he’d shoot it. Then it was like, ‘Thank God.’ ”

Youman finished with 15 points, Jeremiah Turner and Dallas Townsend scored 14 points apiece, Brandon Jacobs had 13 points and Reed finished with 10.

“We have a lot of threats on our team,” Reed said. “It’s real difficult to stop them all.”

This was a game between friendly rivals. Coach Bobby Braswell of Cal State Northridge, a former Cleveland coach, and Andre Chevalier, a Matador assistant and another former Cleveland coach, watched from the bleachers.

Coach Bort Escoto of Sylmar is a former Cleveland assistant, so Braswell and Chevalier were keeping a low profile.

“I’m just here as a fan,” Braswell said. “That’s my politically correct answer.”

Said Adam Levitt, Cleveland co-coach: “It’s like North Carolina playing Kansas. We know them and they know us.”

For three quarters, Cleveland kept the Spartans playing catch-up.

Twice the Cavaliers opened eight-point leads while scoring off transition baskets. But once Sylmar went to a 2-3 zone in the second half, the Cavaliers had trouble scoring.

Dennis, an All-City guard, was a marked player on offense. Only Eric Bush, who scored 13 points, was able to help him out.

“It goes to show other guys have to step up,” Dennis said.

Youman came through in spurts. In the second quarter, he scored consecutive baskets on offensive rebounds.

In the fourth quarter, he lifted the Spartans into the lead.

“I hate to lose,” Youman said. “I feel the energy from my team.”

No Valley team has reached the City Section championship game since Braswell and Cleveland in 1987.

Sylmar has aspirations of being able to compete against the best in the City Section. The Spartans, last season’s 3-A champions, have the experience, but they’ll need to improve.

They have a mature, determined court leader, Reed, who contributed a key basket with 1:29 left to push the Spartans’ lead to 69-65.

“I just try to be the floor general, make sure everybody is where they are supposed to be and distribute the ball,” Reed said.